Water is Thicker Than Blood
by Green Amber
Summary: A collection of drabbles surrounding the relationship between Rukia and Hisana, the woman who never stopped being a mystery. Come to My Garden: Byakuya recieves a strange dream the night after his sister's battle against Aaroniro.
1. It Won't Cost Much

**Title:**It Won't Cost Much

**Series:** Bleach

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Characters/Pairings:** Rukia, Hisana; hint of Ichigo/Rukia and Byakuya/Hisana

**Rating:** PG

**Summary:** Hisana will always be waiting to find her sister again, but not for the reasons that one might think.

**Notes:** I've always wondered why Hisana attempted to find her little sister several years after abandoning Rukia as a baby when Rukia would surely have been dead. This fic is just one of the results.

**Warning:** Takes place after Ch. 270. Very dark.

* * *

She was drowning in a sea of darkness. She could feel hands reaching up out of the abyss to cling to her ankles and to drag her down farther and farther into the depths.

She couldn't feel her arms, her whole body was numb with the cold. She was nothing.

A pair of webbed hands reached out and cupped her face, and salty lips were pressed against her own. Rukia's eyes snapped open and her mouth fell open as she stared at this almost exact mirror image of herself.

The being smiled and ran a hand through Rukia's hair. "Finally, sister, you are here where you should be - with me."

Rukia blinked and found the strength to push away the other's hands. "What are you talking about?"

The other girl frowned and grabbed Rukia's cheeks, her talons digging in. "Is that any way to greet your beloved sister who loved you so much that she left you to die? Have you forgotten your older sister? Me, Hisana?" She smiled again. "I've been waiting a long time for you, baby sister. A very long time."

Rukia ignored the claws in her flesh, the pain was nothing compared to having to killed all hope of ever saving Kaien-dono. "Where are we?" She demanded. "Where have you taken me?"

Hisana tutted. "Don't you recognize this place, Rukia? You have been here before, you know." She grinned viciously. "It's the sea of souls where we wait to be reborn. You and I will be reborn into the next life, and this time little sister, I'll never let you go." She stroked Rukia's hair again. "You've haunted my dreams for far too long, little sister. But not anymore."

"No!" Rukia grabbed her sister's thin wrists and jerked them away from her face. Red blood ran its way across the dark blue of the water. "I'm going back!"

Hisana laughed. "You can't go back, little sister. There is only the darkness. You think your little friends will miss you - that the boy will miss you? Only I love you, only your sister loves you Rukia. There is only I." She latched onto her sister's foot.

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie?" Her sister smiled with too many teeth. "I love you little sister. Come, let your big sister take you away from this world and into the next. We'll both be cleansed of all of our sins." She sunk her teeth into Rukia's ankle.

Rukia screamed. "I forgave you!" She kicked out and hit her sister in the face. Hisana gave a shriek and released Rukia from her grasp, allowing the younger girl to attempt to swim back up to the surface as quickly as possible.

"RUKIA! RUKIA! RUKIA!" Hisana's screams followed her. "You'll never make it Rukia!"

Rukia continued to swim towards the light.

"Even if you do make it, I'll still be here waiting, Rukia! Remember that, Rukia! You ruined my life! I couldn't love him properly because of you, you brat! You owe me, Rukia! You ruined my happiness!"

She was almost at surface.

"I'm waiting for you, Rukia! Remember that! No matter how many years pass I'll be here waiting for you. Sister is waiting just for you!"

Rukia broke through the water.

XXX

The hand around Shirayuki twitched and a pair of blue eyes snapped open.

_I'm waiting Rukia, just for you._


	2. Come to My Garden

**Title:** Come To My Garden

**Series:** Bleach

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Character(s)/Pairings:** Byakuya, Hisana, Rukia

**Rating:** PG

**Warnings:** Spoilers for current chapters.

**Summary:** Byakuya receives a strange dream the night after his sister's battle against Aaroniro.

* * *

Hisana was humming cheerfully as she arranged the tea things under the large blooming cherry blossom tree. It over looked the small ornamental lake and it was Hisana's favorite place to linger by on beautiful days like this.

Even though he made no sound as he came towards her, Hisana still looked up at his approach and beamed when she saw him. "Byakuya-sama," she called out, rising gracefully to her feet and moving towards him. She reached out a hand and placed it on his arm. "I've missed you."

A small smile, barely even noticeable, appeared on his face as her laughter rang out.

Slipping her arm though his, she led him to the small table. "You work far too hard, Byakuya-sama. We were starting to get worried about you?"

Besides Hisana, there was no one else there. "We?" He inquired, keeping his voice light.

Hisana laughed again. "Myself and Rukia, of course. You must be sick if you've forgotten our only little sister." She stopped laughing, and glanced at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. "You aren't sick, are you?"

"No." His simple answer seemed to set her mind at rest, for the next instant she was indulging herself in filling up the silence again.

"You should have seen Rukia earlier, Byakuya-sama. She's really improved. She'll make a great Vice-Captain someday..." Hisana paused for a moment, biting her lip.

Noticing the telltale sign that Hisana was upset about something, Byakuya spoke. "Something is... bothering you...?"

Hisana's eyes flickered over to him, before flashing away to stare at the shinning waters of the lake. Her hand reached out and touched his with the tips of her fingers, letting him know that she appreciated the fact that he was worried about her. "It's silly, really. I almost feel ashamed of feeling this way, Byakuya-sama." She let out a small sigh and turned to face him. "Would it really have hurt to let her have a seated position in the Gotei - 13?"

He stared at her, not quite understanding what the problem was. "It was to keep her safe."

Her hands were now clasping his, and her full attention was on his eyes. "Tell her." Her voice was commanding, something that he rarely associated with her. "Tell her the truth. She needs to know. Tell her."

"Hisana..."

"NI-SAMA!" Something jumped onto his back, thin arms encircling his neck. Byakuya was confused. The voice was Rukia's but she had never embraced him like this before.

"Rukia?"

The hands quickly let him go, and the girl in question quickly sat down beside him, opposite of Hisana. She bowed to him. "Forgive me, Ni-sama. I could not contain myself." She looked back up at him, and he was startled to see that there were tears in her eyes. She smiled at him, and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "Forgive me."

He reached out and placed a hand on the top of her head. "Rukia. Is there a particular reason for this out break of emotion?"

The smile on the girl's face widened and more tears filled her eyes, this time spilling over onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I just feel so happy and sad at the same time."

"Be gentle with her, Byakuya-sama." Hisana's voice hadn't lost the commanding tone. "Be gentle."

Rukia's eyes shifted over to Hisana and a small frown appeared on her face. "Don't. Just don't." Her voice was quivering. "Not now. Not now of all times."

"Rukia." Hisana reached towards her sister. "Don't be afraid. It's time to let go."

Rukia recoiled from the elder woman's touch. "No. I have to rescue Inoue-san. I can't go yet."

Hisana looked slightly hurt as she brought her hand back into her lap. "I wonder," she mused, looking away from her husband and sister. "If the reason you reject me now is because I rejected you."

"No." Rukia's voice was firm as she held her brother's hand. Was she trying to draw strength from him, he wondered. "I don't even remember that. And it's in the past. I forgave you a long time ago for that, sister." Her eyes shifted to Byakuya and she squeezed his hand. "And I still haven't saved Inoue-san - my friend. And I promised Ichigo... I promised I would get back to him alive."

"Have you forgotten, Rukia?" Hisana looked sad. "Your blade is broken and so is your body."

Rukia's voice held a sob in it. "I have to save her!"

"Rukia. Look at yourself."

The hand clasping Byakuya's was suddenly replaced by something wet and warm. Something cold attacked his insides as he watched the blood drip down his younger sister's face. There was a broken sword stuck in her stomach.

Hisana chose this moment to speak. "You are dying Rukia. It is time to go."

"No." Rukia's voice was still firm no matter what condition her body was in. "I made a promise, and I don't go back on my promises." She squeezed Byakuya's hand. Blood pooled up among her fingers. "Besides, Ni-sama will be lonely if I leave him all alone." She released his hand and stood up on wobbly legs. She leaned forward and pressed a cold kiss against his cheek. "I'm coming home, Ni-sama. No Espada is going to stop me." She smiled as she disappeared. "I'm coming home and I'm bringing all of my friends with me."

Byakuya raised his hand to stare at the blood of his sister. He heard a faint sigh beside him.

"You're a bad influence, Byakuya-sama. Or maybe it's just her nature. That girl has been narrowly escaping the jaws of death since she was born."

"Hisana. Is she really...?"

His wife turned to look at him. "You need not worry Byakuya-sama. Don't you know? Rukia always keeps her promises." She clasped his hands. "It'll take far more than anything Aizen can throw at her to stop Rukia from the path she's chosen. Nothing can stop destiny, Byakuya-sama. Not even a concerned older brother."

* * *

The first thing he saw that morning was the hand Rukia had held in his dream, covered with dripping crimson blood. 


End file.
